Media-centric companies are often interested in tracking the number of times that audience members are exposed to media compositions (e.g., television programs, motion pictures, internet videos, radio programs, etc.). To track such exposures, companies often generate audio and/or video signatures (i.e., a representation of some, preferably unique, portion of the media composition or the signal used to transport the media composition) of media compositions that can be used to determine when those media compositions are presented to audience members. Additionally, companies embed identification codes into media compositions to monitor presentations of those media compositions to audience members by comparing identification codes retrieved from media compositions presented to audience members with reference to identification codes stored in a reference database in association with information descriptive of the media compositions. These identification codes can also be referred to as watermarks.
Configurations of data collection systems to collect signatures, and/or watermarks from media compositions typically vary depending on the equipment used to receive, process, and display media signals in each monitored consumption site (e.g., a household). For example, media consumption sites that receive cable television signals, satellite television signals, and/or Internet signals typically include set top boxes (STB's) and/or computers that receive media signals from a cable, a satellite, and/or an Internet service provider. Media delivery systems configured in this manner may be monitored using hardware, firmware, and/or software that interfaces with the STB to extract information (e.g., codes) or generate signal information (e.g., signatures) therefrom.